Promise to You
by Annie-chan
Summary: KurenoxAkito, because I have seen way too little of this pairing. Akito confesses her infidelity to Kureno, but his reaction is quite different than what she expects. Angsty fluff. Rated for some swearing.


**Author's Notes:** Yay, I'm finally writing a _Fruits Basket_ fic. I'm currently struggling with a _Kingdom Hearts II_ fic concerning Organization XIII, so I decided to take a break and try writing something else. This fic is that something else.

I am strongly of the opinion that Kureno and Akito belong together. They're my favorite _Furuba_ pairing, in fact. KurenoxArisa is cute, but I don't see it lasting, and ShigurexAkito just creeps me out, mainly because Shigure's affection for Akito has a really jealous and controlling flavor to it. Besides, as Kureno explained to Tohru, he swore to Akito that he would live his life for her, and he has no intention or desire to break that promise. He has feelings for Arisa, but he won't turn his back on Akito for a girl who just recently walked into his life and showed him a little kindness. He likes being with Arisa and doesn't want to hurt her feelings, but his devotion to Akito is more important to him. That, I think, is real love.

Anyway, I am aware that this fic doesn't exactly fall in with the manga storyline. My translation skills are very shaky, so I may be interpreting things wrongly to some degree or another, and I haven't taken the time to go online and look for translations or summaries. I'm not taking into account the things we see happen between Shigure, Akito, and/or Kureno after chapter 101 (the chapter where Akito falls into bed with Shigure), as my idea for this fic just works better without trying to tie it into what happens beyond that. All I intend for this fanfic is to pay a little homage to a pairing that I love and think gets way too little attention from other _Furuba_ fans. So, if you have any issues with how well or how accurately this fits into the manga, or my conviction than Kureno and Akito belong together, then go find a fanfic more to your liking. The last thing I need is someone reading this and then wasting their time telling me how inaccurate it is or how my taste in pairings is screwed up. It would be a waste of _my_ time to read such correspondence.

I am also aware that some characters in here, especially Akito, may be pretty OOC. But, we are seeing her within her inner sanctum with the man she trusts the most, so I don't think it's too improbable that she would have her shields down. If you don't like that, then don't read.

_Fruits Basket_ and all characters therein belong to Takaya Natsuki, Hakusensha, and any other persons or entities holding copyrights to it. If it did belong to me, we'd see a lot less of Tohru, Kyo, and Yuki (all whom I love but don't have a terribly huge interest in) and a lot more of the Mabudachi Trio and KurenoxAkito (or KureAkki, as I like to call them). Alas, it is not to be…

**Promise to You**

By Annie-chan

The room was dark. She liked it dark. The dim light allowed her to let her thoughts wander, to take her mind off of the many things plaguing it. Her infernally meddling mother was a constant source of stress for her. Managing the vast Souma estate and keeping the many members of the clan in line were also quite taxing. That thrice-damned little high school girl was no trifling matter, either. But none of these things were on her mind now. The thing she was trying to escape from, trying to push into the farthest recesses of her mind, was something else entirely.

"Akito?" a soft voice said on the other side of the door. It was almost a whisper, and she would not have heard it if the room hadn't been otherwise silent. The voice behind the words was almost indistinguishable, but few people dared to address her when she was in her bedroom, the most private of rooms in her living quarters. When in here, she was seeking refuge from the world and the people in it, and only a select few could join her without an express invitation. She knew who was kneeling respectfully on the other side of the sliding door, patiently awaiting her response.

"Hai?" she answered after several minutes of consideration. She wanted to ignore him, but some part of her would not allow her to. "What is it, Kureno?"

"May I come in?" the young man asked, still kneeling with his head bowed, like he was addressing royalty. Indeed, this woman was the center of his life, a queen of sorts. It would not do to show her any less reverence than he would show true royalty.

Akito was silent again for several minutes. The part of her that wanted to ignore him was battling against the part of her that wanted to see him. Her eyes narrowed in internal debate, and she thanked the gods there was no one in the room with her to witness her indecision.

"Akito?" Kureno asked cautiously. "Are you all right?"

"I'm…fine," she replied. In truth, she was not. She inwardly flinched, sure that Kureno would hear the hesitant tone of her words, a sure sign that she was lying.

"Akito, please," Kureno said after a few more minutes of silence. There was a touch of sadness in his voice, and something in Akito's heart quivered at the sound of it. "Please, let me come in. You're hurting, aren't you? I…I want to help you if I can."

"All right," Akito finally said, giving a slight nod to no one in particular.

The door slid open almost soundlessly, the well-cared-for wood frame gliding along its runs effortlessly. The young man stepped through, the socks on his feet making no noise on the tatami flooring as he entered and closed the door behind him. He made no comment on the dimness of the room, as he knew that she preferred it this way when she was free of obligations. A slight breeze ruffled Akito's hair, and Kureno looked to the east side of the room to see that the window there was standing open a little, letting some sunlight spill onto the floor. It was a bright spot in the gloom of the bedroom.

"Sit down, Kureno," Akito said softly. She was sitting at the low table, her back to him.

Wordlessly, Kureno complied, kneeling down behind her and to her right. He would not sit level with her unless she asked him to.

Again, silence fell between them. Akito was hunched forward over the table a little bit, her long bangs falling over her eyes, her arms crossed loosely on the tabletop. She obviously had something troubling on her mind, and Kureno felt worry growing in his heart.

"Akito," he finally whispered, breaking the silence. "Please, tell me what's wrong. You're hurting inside, and I don't like—I _hate_—seeing you like this. I want to help you, but I can't _do_ anything if I don't know what's troubling you." For roughly two weeks, the Souma head had been more detached and irritable than normal, and Kureno had assumed she had fallen into one of her "moods". No "mood" ever lasted this long, however. He was deeply worried that something bad had happened to make her like this.

"Kureno," she replied just as softly, "don't worry yourself about me. I…I can handle it myself."

"So, there _is_ something wrong," he said, his head bowing forward a bit.

Akito said nothing to that. All of a sudden, the part of her that wanted him out of here drowned out the part that wanted him near. She wanted nothing more than to order him from her room, and drew in a breath to do so. Before she had a chance to speak, however, Kureno said something else.

"Did you have another fight with your mother?" he asked, well aware that any mention of Ren could cause the petite woman sitting in front of him to fly off the handle. He decided to risk her wrath, however, and noted the way she flinched when he said "mother".

"No," she replied after a few seconds, shaking off the feeling of loathing she felt every time she even thought about her vindictive mother. "I haven't seen her in a while." Indeed, Akito often went a week or more without seeing her mother. She never sought the older woman out, and Ren often spent long stretches of time shut in her chambers, ignoring the outside world and her only child.

"Then, is it…Shigure-niisan?" Kureno asked, even softer than the first question. "Did he say something to you…?

At the mention of the Dog's name, Akito suddenly stiffened up, eyes widening as she sucked in a gasp. It was an instantaneous reaction, and she was powerless to halt or subdue it. A feeling of anger quickly followed, furious that she had given herself away so plainly. She composed herself as quickly as she could, but knew there would be no telling Kureno that she was fine anymore.

"Akito, tell me what's wrong," Kureno said after watching her for a few moments. His voice wasn't quite as soft as before. He was still respectful, but he put a little more force behind his words. Akito's sudden reaction to just hearing Shigure's name told him that something gravely wrong indeed had come to pass. Something had shaken her, and Kureno would not pursue the matter if she truly wanted it kept private, but he wanted to help her through her suffering. He would not relent if she would allow him to help her. He just had to coax her into accepting his help.

"Kureno…" she began, but paused, as if searching for the right words to say. When she finally spoke again, however, it was hardly what he wanted to hear. "Get out."

Kureno did not move.

"Get out," she repeated, louder.

"Akito—"

"Get _out_!" she screamed, twisting around and smacking him sharply across the face. "Get out! I don't want to see you!"

Kureno took the blow, as he had taken so many others from her, but didn't immediately obey her order. "When can I see you again?" he asked instead, head still turned from the strike. "When can we discuss this, if you will not see me now?"

"Never," Akito spat, eyes burning in anger as she stared at him. "I will not discuss this. Not with you, not with anyone. Do _not_ bring it up again. _Ever_."

Kureno still did not leave, turning his face back toward her, his brown eyes meeting her dark gray ones. A deep sadness was in his gentle but intense gaze, a look that pleaded, _Don't shut me out_.

That look pierced her to the bone, making her shudder as if freezing. She reacted in the only way she knew how when faced with something that so thoroughly shook her. She attacked him.

"_GET OUT!_" she screeched, striking at him blindly with her small fists, her punches surprising powerful for such a slender frame. "Get out, get out, _get out_! _I'll kill you if you don't leave me alone!_"

Kureno took the first few hits without protest, taking the punishment for refusing to obey her. When it quickly became apparent that she wasn't going to stop at a few hits, however, he blocked a strike aimed for his jaw and then grabbed her wrists, effectively stopping the assault.

"Let go of me!" she cried as she struggled against his grip, trying to pull back. Fatigue was settling over her alarmingly fast, however. She had eaten little in the past several days, and the curse was constantly eroding her from within, bringing her closer to death every day. Lack of adequate food only increased her weariness. Soon, she had stopped struggling, bowing her head forward and trembling in both anger and weakness.

Kureno let go of her wrists, watching her hunched form silently. He wanted to embrace her, offer her comfort, but he didn't dare. Though they had many times sought pleasure in each other's arms, such intimacies were solely at Akito's discretion. Even something as innocent as a consoling hug was off limits if she did not wish to be touched. Instead, he watched her trembling slowly subside, his short bangs falling over his eyes as he lowered his head slightly, suppressing his desire to hold her.

"What did Shigure-niisan say to you, Akito?" he asked when she had finally stopped shaking. "Did you two have a fight?" An ominous thought flitted about the edge of his consciousness, something he had no desire to acknowledge. He roughly pushed it aside and focused his attention on the woman kneeling before him.

"Yes," she murmured quietly. "He had the audacity to show up in here without permission, to act as if this room were his as much as it is mine. I've brought him here before, but never have I come back here to find him waiting for me. I couldn't believe he had the _gall_ to show up uninvited." She was speaking softly, not looking at him, almost too quiet to hear.

"Why was he here?" Kureno gently prompted when she paused. Again, that ominous thought tried to snag his attention, but he shoved it away.

"I don't know what he originally came here for," she said, shaking her head slowly. "To see me, I guess. We started talking about…things. About Ren, about that strange woman I saw with him at the gathering, about me, about him and his…activities." She stopped here, and Kureno could have sworn he heard her swallow nervously.

"Akito," he began, but stopped when she began speaking again. Shame laced her voice, an emotion so rare in her that Kureno almost didn't recognize the voice as hers.

"Kureno…" she whispered, her hands clenching into fists. "Kureno…Shigure and I, we…he and I…that night…"

"Yes…?" he pressed, that ominous thought getting louder by the second.

Akito drew in a shaking breath, forcing herself to say the words. "Shigure and I had sex that night."

Kureno closed his eyes, drawing in a slow, controlled breath. That ominous thought had been correct, the realization dropping a lead weight into his stomach. The memory of the most unpleasant phone call of his life filtered into his thoughts, defying his wish to forget it. He could hear Shigure's voice, horribly calm and matter-of-fact, telling him that he hated him, that he loathed ever fiber of his being for stealing Akito away from him. Akito, the little girl Shigure had promised to look after no matter what the circumstances, had captured his heart and made him fall deeply in love with her. Her seeming to forget his promise, gravitating instead toward Kureno and relegating Shigure to the less desirable position of occasional confidante, instilled in the Dog a jealousy so potent that he had come to hate the man he had once treated as a little brother. To him, Kureno had intruded upon a relationship he had no business meddling with, and stolen the affections of the woman who by all rights should have returned his love.

That phone call had hurt Kureno more than any physical attack could have. He had lost a friend, a brother, over something that none of them had any control over. He had almost cried after hanging up, and felt tears pricking his eyes now.

"Kureno…?" Akito ventured, looking up at him now, unnerved by his complete silence.

"I…think I suspected," Kureno said softly, eyes still closed. "I know…I know that Shigure-niisan loves you, Akito. Just recently, he told me…and he also said that he hated me for having you." He swallowed shakily. "But I didn't know that you—"

"I don't!" Akito snapped.

"Then, why…?" Kureno trailed off, unable to ask the entire question.

"I don't know," she said, her voice lowering again. "I was just…I was so angry…I was _furious_ with him! He was associating with that _bitch_ mother of mine, because he _knew_ it made me angry! He accused me of forgetting the promise he made to me when I was a child, the promise that he would stand by me no matter what happened! He had the _balls_ to indicate I wasn't _grateful_ enough, and that his seeing Ren was because I didn't pay him enough attention!" Utter rage was taking over, the veins in her neck starting to stand out as the tension in her body mounted. "_And then he said he was sleeping with her and has been since I started sleeping with you!_" This last sentence was forced out through her teeth, her entire body quivering with deadly fury.

Kureno's eyes flew open, his jaw dropping in shock. _That_ was something Shigure had neglected to tell him about. The idea that he would go so far to take revenge for his injured love for Akito had never even come close to crossing Kureno's mind. It was perhaps the _worst_ way to deal with the person you love choosing someone else, and Kureno had never expected Shigure to sink so low.

"That _bastard_!" Akito hissed, clutching her hair so hard she seemed to be trying to tear it out. "How _dare_ he! How _dare_ he blame his _idiocy_ on _me_!"

"Akito," Kureno said hesitantly, as if afraid she would lash out at him in her anger with Shigure. "Akito, that…that doesn't explain why you…and he…"

The tension in her body seemed to literally drain out of her, her trembling subsiding to an almost invisible quiver as her body slowly relaxed. "I know," was all she said, avoiding his eyes again.

"Well…?" he asked after it seemed she wouldn't be continuing.

"I…" she whispered, as if searching for words. "I don't know what happened, Kureno. I wanted the old Shigure to come back, the one who would always smile at me and tell me how pretty I looked when he put a flower in my hair, the one who would hold me and let me cry on his shoulder when the stress of this _damned_ curse became too much for me. This man in front of me was so cold and resentful…gods, he _scared_ me, Kureno! My best friend was gone! I wanted him back!" She blinked rapidly, and Kureno could see tears threatening to fall. "He started to leave," she continued, "saying that I just wasn't understanding him, and that his being there was doing nothing but upsetting me. He was walking away, and all I could think was that he would never talk to me again, never even _look_ at me again. I-I just…did the first thing I could think of. I grabbed him as he was walking out the door…and I kissed him."

"And then…?" Kureno prodded as she again paused.

"And then…" she continued, "…I just…stopped thinking. I was so _lonely_ all of a sudden. Nearly everyone treats me as some god who must be worshipped and appeased…never as a woman with real emotions and desires, with a _need_ for friendship and love. One of the very few who treated me _normally_ was walking away, maybe forever. The deepest part of my heart kept insisting that I had you, but I couldn't hear it. All I could think of was him abandoning me, leaving a gaping void where there was once someone I could cling to when I felt lost. I felt…I felt so _broken_ in that moment! There was comfort in his arms, and…I took what was offered." She put her hands over her eyes, hiding from his steady gaze.

Shigure had not raped her. Not even close. _She_ had kissed him first, _she_ had pleaded with him to stay, _she_ had submitted to him as he pushed her clothing from her body, _she_ had writhed and moaned beneath him as he ravished her almost desperately, _she_ had clung to him and screamed as her climax slammed mercilessly through her body. Mindless passion had gripped them both that night, and Akito had been powerless to stop it. She hadn't _wanted_ to stop it. But now, looking back on it, it sickened her. Not only had she been willingly fucked senseless by a man who was like a brother to her, but the lust and desire that she—that both of them—had fallen prey to that night was obscene, bordering on grotesque. She shuddered violently.

"Akito."

Kureno's soft voice broke through her dark thoughts, startling her. A gentle hand came down on her shoulder, making her jump again. Daring a look up at his face, she almost gasped in shock. He was…_smiling_?

"Kureno…?" she managed, confused.

"I…won't say that I'm not hurt," Kureno said softly, closing his eyes. The smile faded from his face until it was just the tiniest upturning of the corners of his lips. "I won't lie to you and say that I don't feel…betrayed by this. I swore to live for you and only you, and even though you never made such a promise to me…I suppose some part of me always hoped that you would forsake all others for me, too."

"I'm sorry," Akito murmured. It was so rare that she said that phrase that the words felt foreign on her tongue.

Kureno drew in a soft breath, sighing through his nose. "I understand, though…at least I think I do. You just…couldn't stop yourself. You needed _him_ in that moment, not me. Emotion is the most powerful force in our lives…and I can't blame you for submitting to such overwhelming feelings. To have even _tried_ could have been disastrous."

"I let another man make love to me, Kureno," Akito said quietly. "Why aren't you angry?"

"You regret it, don't you?" Kureno countered.

"Yes," Akito answered slowly, starting to see the direction in which he was going.

"Then, that is enough for me," Kureno smiled, squeezing her shoulder briefly. "I can't be angry with you, Akito, not when you're so angry with yourself. It's not my right to only add to your regret by attacking you. I want to help you, not hurt you. Leaving you is the last thing I should do, so…I won't."

Akito looked away again. "But, what if it happens again, Kureno? What if Shigure and I…what if we…what if this turns into a recurrent thing?"

Kureno was quiet for a moment, then answered, "Then we deal with it if it comes to that. I trust you'll make an effort to make sure it does _not_ happen?"

"With everything I have," she said, meaning it.

Kureno smiled again, grasping her hand with his, his other hand squeezing her shoulder again.

"You really are too sweet, Kureno," she sighed, looking away. "I feel like I don't deserve you."

Kureno actually laughed at that. Not only was Akito claiming not to deserve something an extreme rarity, but whether she "deserved" him or not was not the issue here. "Don't be silly, Akito," he chided gently. "I love you."

_I love you._ Kureno had said those three words to her so many times. She had forbidden him to say them when other people might hear, but he found plenty of opportunities to say them in private. Most often was during and after sex, whispering it in her ear or against her lips as he kissed her. Akito, on the other hand, rarely said that she loved him, no matter what the circumstances. The scarcity of such an utterance from her only made the times when she _did_ say it all the sweeter to him. He treasured every time he heard that tiny little phrase trip past her lips.

After several moments, Akito turned her face back up to his. "I love you, Kureno," she said simply, stroking his cheek with one pale hand.

"Akito…" he breathed, leaning in toward her.

"Kuren—mmm…!" Her voice was cut off in the middle of his name as he kissed her firmly, threading the fingers of both hands through her hair to bring her closer. He loved the feel of her soft hair, the black silk sliding through his fingers like liquid. The caress of her lovely lips against his was like water to a man dying of thirst, and he drank her in like today was their last day together. They had barely spoken since her encounter with Shigure, and had not kissed each other at all. He had missed her taste, and his tongue snaked out of its own volition, sliding against her moist lips and nuzzling in between. He felt her shudder as he pushed inside, her small hands clutching at his shirt as he explored the sweet recesses of her mouth. His tongue curled around hers, coaxing it into a slow, sensuous dance for dominance. He groaned, pushing harder, deeper, claiming more of her.

Finally, he pulled back, a strand of saliva trailing between their lips for a few inches before stretching too thin and breaking.

"Mmm…Kureno…" Akito purred. She, too, had missed the feel of her lover's lips, and her tongue darted out to savor his taste as it lingered there. It was obvious what she wanted.

"Now is not the time, Love," he said softly, regaining control of his breathing and brushing her long bangs out of her eyes. "Later. Tonight."

"I look forward to it," she murmured, kissing the corner of his lips briefly. "It'll be worth the wait."

Kureno laughed softly at that. This woman, naturally touchy-feely with just about everybody—except those she hated, of course—made no secret of her sexual appetite. She did not display it openly when there were other people around, but when the two of them were alone together, she could be very forward with it.

"Come on, let's step outside," he said, standing up and pulling her to her feet. "You look awfully pale. Some fresh air will do you good."

"All right," she nodded, "but just for a little while. It's a bit chilly in the breeze."

As she said, Kureno felt a bit of a bite when they stepped out onto the wooden veranda outside her bedroom. It was not _cold_, per se, but one could catch a chill by standing still out here. He excused himself for just a moment and left her outside as he returned to her room, walking to the wooden chest used to store her clothes and shoes. Opening the top drawer, where he knew it would be, he pulled out the black silk overgarment that she habitually wore in the cooler months, bringing it outside and draping it over her slim shoulders. She put her arms into the sleeves, wrapping the smooth fabric around herself as a guard against the fresh breeze. Though she didn't say so out loud, he knew she was thankful that he had fetched it.

"I have been inattentive to what has been going on around me these past couple of weeks," she said after a few minutes of gazing up at the clouds drifting across the blue sky. "Has anything of interest happened, Kureno, that I don't know about?"

"Mm…" Kureno took a moment to think, also watching the clouds as they migrated from east to west. "Nothing of great importance, I suppose. Yuki caught a cold and spent a few days home from school last week, but Hatori-niisan took care of him. He's on the mend now, I should think."

"Oh?" Akito said, a slight smile gracing her face. "I should go visit him and see how he's doing."

Kureno glanced down at the woman next to him. He knew how she terrified Yuki with her mere presence. It didn't sit well with him how she held it over the young man's head just how easily she could reduce him to a shaking, stammering child, but it was not his place to criticize how she dealt with the other family members. If she wished to visit Yuki, then he didn't have the right to tell her not to go.

After another slight pause, she turned to him, her arms folded across her chest. It was partly to hold the silk coat closed, but partly a sign of her seriousness. "Kureno," she said, looking him straight in the eye, "how long should we keep this a secret?"

"What?" he asked, not quite sure what she meant. He had a brief moment of shock, thinking she intended to announce to the family her tryst with Shigure. The stunned moment subsided, however, when she responded.

"Our relationship," she explained. "Our being lovers. I mean, several of the Juunishi know that we're more than just companions, but I'm sure that several of them do not. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the younger members still buy into the ruse that I'm a man. The lesser family members, I'm sure, have no idea that I am a woman and that you are my lover." She glanced to the side for a moment, as if thinking over something or gathering the courage to say what she wanted to say.

"Akito?" he asked, tilting his head a bit.

"Kureno," she said slowly, seeming a bit uncomfortable. "I am the head of this family, my parents' only child. The responsibility to carry on the main line of clan leaders falls solely to me. I am expected to produce an heir to take my place once I am gone. It's my duty to this family. I am…not sure how long I will live, but it will surely be much shorter than a normal person's lifespan." She met his eyes again and took a deep breath, asking what she wanted to ask. "Do you think we should…think about marriage soon?"

Kureno blinked, somehow expecting that to come but at the same time not being prepared for it. It was traditional for the heir to the Souma leadership to marry at age sixteen, and that was three years ago. At sixteen, Akito was already the family head, and even though that was the age when she first bedded with Kureno, marriage was never a subject she discussed with anyone. It was like she didn't want it. Now, it appeared she wanted to amend that.

"You want to get married?" he asked. "And…have children?"

She looked to the side again. "Well, I have nothing _against_ us marrying. I don't particularly _want_ to have children, but it's expected of me. It's my responsibility to my family…to my father."

Kureno nodded slowly. Though she hated her mother, Akito revered and respected her father above all else. His death had been very hard on her, and he suspected that she never fully recovered from losing him.

"So, is this something we should be planning for in the near future?" Akito asked.

"I suppose, if you want us to," he answered quietly. "But, Akito, you are the first woman known to occupy the place of God among the Juunishi. The curse is heavy upon you, and you're ill so often. I'm afraid that carrying and birthing a child might kill you."

Akito was silent, but the look on her face told Kureno that she had already considered that possibility. "That's not something that can be avoided, if that is the case," she said simply after a moment. The wind had died down momentarily, and she let her coat hang open, the white kimono underneath a sharp contrast to the black silk.

"Mm," he nodded, looking out at the manicured garden. In all honesty, he was surprised that she hadn't gotten pregnant before now. She was not on any kind of birth control regimen, and neither of them used any protection during sex. He had suggested some kind of contraceptive measures when they first became lovers, and Hatori had urged it, but she would have none of it. She wanted no "barriers" between them, she had said. But, it was now three years of regular lovemaking later, and she had never gotten pregnant. There was the possibility that the curse had left her barren—even though the cursed male heads before her had never had trouble impregnating their wives—which would put a serious kink in any endeavors to produce an heir. Even if that were the case, though, her getting married would at least give her the appearance of propriety, of trying to fulfill her responsibility to the family. Perhaps that would quiet her mother's tirades of how awful a daughter Akito was. Kureno kind of doubted that, but it was worth a shot.

He felt a pressure around his waist, and looked down to see her leaning against him, her arms around him. Smiling, he returned the embrace, squeezing her fondly. It was rare that she initiated such displays of affection outside the safety of her bedroom, and he welcomed it whenever she did. He slipped a finger under her chin and tilted her head up, lightly touching their lips together, hearing her purr as he did so.

A quiet gasp suddenly reached his ears. Though barely audible, he could detect profound shock in that tiny intake of breath, sharp injury underlining it. Reflexively, he broke the kiss and stared at the intruder. The newcomer had just rounded a bend in the garden path, and now stood rigidly, his eyes fixed on the couple before him.

"Shigure-niisan!" Kureno stammered, surprised more than anything else. He knew that the look in Shigure's eyes was not from any realization that him and Akito were together, as he had been painfully aware of it for years. It was more like the frozen horror of someone finding thrust in their face a fact that they had long tried to deny was real, even though they _knew_ it was true. Even from where he was standing, Kureno could see that the older man was shaking.

"Coming to visit me?" Akito said, her tone much closer to normal than Kureno's. She had not let go of the former Rooster, rather tightening her hold on him. "I'm sorry, Shigure, but I'm not taking any visitors right now. Come and see me tomorrow, instead?"

Shigure opened his mouth, as if to answer, but then shut it almost immediately. He shifted on his feet, giving the two of them an injured look—Kureno could have sworn he was shot a scathing glare—and then turned sharply and retraced his steps up the garden path and out of sight.

"Niisan…" Kureno said softly, raising his hand toward the departing Shigure, as if wanting to stop him, but lowering it again when the Dog passed from view. He kept staring at the spot where Shigure had disappeared, but looked back at Akito as she extracted herself from his embrace and went back into her room. "Akito?" he asked, following her. "Are you all right?"

"I…I don't know," she murmured. Her arms were around herself, as if she was cold. Though the temperature had risen slightly since they first went out there, he shut the door, cutting off the breeze that meandered into the room. "I will not falsify love just to satisfy him, but I don't want to lose him, either. I _do_ love him, just…not in the way he wants me to. He is the brother I never had. I don't want him to hate me."

"I know," he sighed, touching her shoulder, then drawing closer to wrap his arms around her from behind. "We'll…we'll work this out, Akito. If there's any way to keep his friendship with us, I will do it. I swear it." He squeezed her tightly. "Things will be all right, I promise."

"Promise…" Akito whispered, leaning back against him. Kureno never made promises lightly, and always followed through to the best of his ability. Though her anxiety over losing a close friend didn't lessen any, she did feel just a little calmer after hearing Kureno vow that things would turn out for the best.

"Akito-san?" a voice suddenly said from the other side of the door.

"Hai?" Akito replied, recognizing the voice of one of her personal attendants.

"Souma Hatori-san is here for your weekly examination, sir," the woman replied. "I _think_ he is alone, but I am not sure."

Akito blinked, confused by that. "Send him in, then."

About half a minute later, the door slid open, a young man in a black suit and white lab coat stepping into the room. He greeted Akito and Kureno, and was just about to shut the door behind him when a blur of white and red suddenly raced up behind him.

"Tori-san, how mean!" an indignant Snake nearly shouted, apparently having been slighted about something. "My dearest little brother isn't here! Why did you tell me you saw him!"

"Because, Ayame," Hatori explained with slightly fraying patience, "I am here to exercise my duty as Akito's physician. It was never intended for you to come along in the first place. I was just unlucky enough to have you cross my path on the way here."

Ayame gave Hatori a look of injured pride, and was about to respond when Akito spoke up, adopting one of her welcoming expressions. "Oh, Hatori, I have no objections to Ayame accompanying you today. As long as he has some of that wonderful tea with him, that is."

"Of course!" Ayame grinned, holding up a small canister that seemed to come out of nowhere. "I always have some on me, in case of an emergency."

Hatori sighed. "All right, you can stay. Just this once," he added quickly, the prospect of Ayame coming with him to every one of Akito's examinations not exactly welcome to him. Best friend or not, the Dragon could find the Snake's antics just a little too much for him to tolerate sometimes. Besides, getting a detailed picture of Akito's health was business, not playtime. "And you be careful giving her that tea, Ayame," he continued. "The caffeine in it could be harmful to her."

"Hai, hai," Ayame acquiesced, sitting at the low table and putting the tea canister in front of him. Kureno sat across from him, knowing that Hatori couldn't examine Akito very well with him hovering around.

Kureno folded his hands on the table in front of him as he watched the doctor and patient began their weekly routine, the three of them only half listening to Ayame's animated chatter about the goings-on at his costume shop.

_Believe in me, Akito_, Kureno silently prayed. _I made a promise to you, and I intend to keep it. Things will be just fine, I swear it…_

**End**

**Author's Notes:** Wow. I actually wrote this whole thing in one stretch. I can't remember how long it took, but it is way more than I usually write at one time. I'm proud of myself.

I should stress again that the "facts" in this fic should be taken with a boulder of salt. As I said before, my translation skills are amateur at best, so I may be completely misconstruing characters' thoughts, emotions, and opinions concerning certain people and things. I'm also kind of iffy about the nature of Shigure's relationship with Ren. I _think_ he said he was sleeping with her, and that he blamed it on Akito, but I'm not entirely sure. I suspect I'll eventually find out if I'm right or wrong, either by reading a translation online or the actual manga when volume seventeen comes out in English. For now, though, that's what I think is going on, so that's what I wrote into this fic. Believe it with caution.

I wrote this fic completely on a whim, and I hope it came out all right. My struggles with my Organization XIII fic are getting extremely frustrating. Hopefully, my writing this has gotten my creative juices flowing adequately enough to overcome my difficulties with that as-of-yet-unnamed fic. We'll see. For now, though, I would love to hear what anyone has to say about this fic. Do you think I did well? It's been a while since _Fruits Basket_ was foremost in my mind—_KHII_ has taken over my life for the past few months—so I'm a little rusty, I think. Please tell me what you think in a review or an email. It would make me ever so happy, and may even boost my motivation to work on my Organization XIII fic.

Oh, and one last thing: I couldn't help squeezing in Ayame there at the end. As Akito is my favorite female character, Ayame is my favorite male character. Which one of the two is my favorite _overall_ character is still up to debate, though. Anyway, I hope his appearance doesn't seem contrived or cheesy. I also hope the end of the fic doesn't seem rushed in general. Writing this has taken me into the early hours of the morning, and I wanted to wrap things up, but didn't want to end it like I just dropped it off a wall. Did I do a good job? I hope so…


End file.
